The country's maritime borders and various coastal facilities need protection from various threats. This requires a variety of samples of special equipment and technology capable of monitoring the situation and detecting intruders or potentially dangerous objects. According to the latest data, not so long ago, domestic power structures received a new means of monitoring coastal areas. It is now proposed to guard the border and other important objects using the "Gorgon" magnetometric detection tool.
The promising equipment for observing the water areas was developed by the research and production complex "Daedalus" (Dubna), which is part of the state corporation "Rosatom". In the "Gorgon" project, new principles of operation and detection were used for domestic equipment of this class, which made it possible to obtain sufficiently high characteristics. The task of the magnetometric detection tool (MSO) is to control a given area and detect various potentially dangerous objects, primarily combat swimmers and their equipment.
General view of MSO "Gorgona": cable coils, junction boxes and electronics unit
In its article “The Russian Maritime Borders Will Be Protected by the Gorgon,” dated November 15, Izvestia quoted the Deputy Director General for Research Activities at NPK Daedalus Sergei Kozlov. He said that by now the research and production complex had managed to get an order for the supply of serial detection equipment. MSO "Gorgona" is already supplied by one of the Russian security forces, and has also been deployed at a coastal facility. For obvious reasons, the representative of the developer did not specify which organization became the customer, and where the new detection tools were installed.
In parallel with the serial production of the MSO "Gorgon" in the existing version, an improved modification is being developed that meets the updated requirements of the customer. At the beginning of next year, it is planned to present an updated complex with new communication facilities. Unlike the basic version, it will transmit data about the situation not by cable, but by means of a radio station. Another means of increasing autonomy will be solar panels, which provide electricity to the devices.
MSO "Gorgona" and other means associated with this system were created to protect water areas and coastal facilities. It should be noted that to date, in our country and abroad, a number of systems for this purpose have been created, however, in a number of cases, the characteristics of such equipment were insufficient. So, the use of the sonar method for detecting targets, which is the de facto standard in this area, imposes serious restrictions on the placement of equipment. With a high detection range, hydroacoustic equipment cannot fully perform the assigned tasks in areas of shallow depth, for example, in the coastal zone.
Apparently, it was the problems and shortcomings of the existing hydroacoustic detection equipment that led to the use of different operating principles in the Gorgon project. As is clear from the full official name of the promising complex, magnetometric equipment is used to track the terrain and search for potentially dangerous objects. The essence of the principle of its operation is to monitor the magnetic field and detect its local changes. The presence of the latter indicates the presence of some ferromagnetic mass in the zone of responsibility of the complex. The latter can be elements of equipment or weapons of enemy combat swimmers, as well as individual vehicles. The relatively high sensitivity of the "Gorgon" makes it possible to detect the presence of small metal objects, up to small arms or cold weapons.
The actual magnetometric detection tool consists of only two main parts, a cable sensing element and an electronic unit. In addition, some other devices should be used as part of the coastal protection complex. For example, it is proposed to use special coils to carry cables, and electronic devices must be connected to a common control panel located at a guarded facility. Such an architecture of the complex allows placing its various elements in any required area without significant restrictions.
Detector installation diagram
For the search for targets in the protected area, the so-called. cable sensing element. This device consists of two junction boxes and a cable that acts as a target sensor. The junction boxes are equipped with a robust cylindrical case with an oversized cover, inside which the necessary electronic equipment is placed. On the covers of the boxes there are several connectors for installing cables of one purpose or another. When deploying the complex, the cable sensitive element is installed on the bottom of the reservoir, and it can be located even at the water's edge. It is proposed to connect cables used as target sensors to the connectors on the box covers, as well as wires for communication with the electronic unit.
Changes in the magnetic field are monitored using several cables. Each sensitive element can be completed with three cables laid in the protected area. As part of the Gorgona complex, it is proposed to use a sealed ship cable of the SMPEVG brand, originally intended for laying in water bodies. The length of the standard cable provides a 250 m wide line coverage. To protect a larger section of the coast, the use of several detection means is required.
With the help of an additional cable, the sensing element is connected to the electronic unit responsible for processing the received data. The electronic unit is a rectangular device equipped with several connectors and indicators. Depending on the characteristics of the protected area, the unit can be installed both at the bottom of the reservoir and in the soil of the coast. Another cable leaves the electronic unit, which is responsible for transmitting the received data to the control panel.
The operator of the "Gorgon" complex should be located on the so-called. local observation post. The post is equipped with all the necessary equipment for receiving information from electronic units with its subsequent output to a common control panel. One control station can monitor the operation of eight magnetometric detectors. Also at the control post there are power supply facilities for the entire complex. The control post requires a network with a voltage of 220 V or 24 V. The supply voltage of the detection means is from 10 to 30 V. The power consumption of the latter is declared at the level of 110 mW.
The design of the "Gorgona" complex ensures operation at temperatures from -50 ° to + 50 °. One set of MCO, connected to a local observation post, is capable of continuously monitoring a line with a length of 250 m. The detection zone is a 4 m wide strip running parallel to the cable sensitive element.
Demonstration of the interaction of the complex and the goal
Means of the "Gorgon" detection complex are proposed to be mounted as follows. On the shore, in the established place, there is an observation post with appropriate equipment. An electronic unit must be located near the coastline, connected to the control room by cables. The electronics are also connected to one of the junction boxes located at the bottom of the reservoir. The cables should be laid parallel to each other, the distance between them should be 2 m. A second switch box is placed at a certain distance from the shore.
The general principles of the "Gorgon" complex are quite simple and have long been used in similar areas. The equipment independently monitors the existing magnetic field and registers its changes. If the latter appear on the operator's console, information about the detection of a suspicious object in a particular sector is displayed. To improve the characteristics, some new algorithms for processing incoming information are used, which make it possible to exclude false alarms due to the appearance of objects that do not pose a real danger.
According to the published data, MCO "Gorgon" should detect saboteurs or other targets by changes in the magnetic field associated with the appearance of metal objects in the area of responsibility. The ability to search for small metal objects, such as breathing apparatus or scuba gear, small arms, magnetic mines and even knives, is declared. Naturally, the equipment will be able to find larger objects, such as underwater tugs used by scuba divers to move quickly.
According to the development company, a new type of magnetometric detection means can detect enemy combat swimmers at depths of up to 3 m. The existing hydroacoustic systems, unlike the Gorgon complex, cannot effectively operate at such a depth of the reservoir. The probability of target detection in such conditions exceeds 95%.
High detection performance leads to the possibility of some problems. Thus, a new type of system is able to notice natural phenomena and objects that are not an enemy. The correct operation of the complex can be impeded by waves on the surface, different temperatures of different layers of water, the speed of the current, etc. In addition, it is possible to detect fish, logs and other underwater or surface objects. To exclude false alarms, the control station automation has special data processing algorithms that allow you to distinguish a dangerous object in the form of a swimmer or some kind of equipment from "natural" targets.
General scheme of MSO "Gorgona-R"
It is reported that an improved version of the complex called "Gorgon-R" was developed on the basis of the original project of the MCO "Gorgon". Such a product retains some of the basic features of the basic system, however, it has a number of characteristic differences. All changes in the new project are associated with the need to increase the autonomy of work. By introducing some new means into the complex, it was possible to significantly reduce the number of cables required to connect various elements into a single complex.
In the basic design, the cable sensing elements and the electronic unit are powered by cables coming from the observation post. MSO "Gorgona-R" is completed with other means of power supply using solar panels. Photovoltaic converters should be placed on a special buoy connected with other equipment of the complex using cables. It is also proposed to install a radio station in the buoy, which is responsible for communication between the detection tool and the coastal observation post.
Due to the introduction of a buoy with solar batteries and electronic equipment, the Gorgona-R complex gains certain advantages over the basic product. In particular, the number of cables to be laid is reduced and, to a certain extent, deployment at the selected position is simplified.
At the same time, some of the features of the modernized complex can be considered disadvantages. The fact is that, unlike the basic system, the Gorgon-R has a buoy with special equipment, which must be constantly on the surface of the water. The presence of such an assembly can unmask the position of the detector. The basic complex, which includes cable communications, is devoid of such disadvantages.
According to the latest reports of domestic mass media, by now MCO "Gorgona" has gone into series and is already being supplied to customers. One of the coastal facilities has already received a complete set of detection tools, which are now responsible for its safety and protection from possible sabotage. In addition, the development of the Gorgon-R project continues. It is planned to complete the development of an updated version of the system early next year.
It should be noted that the appearance of the domestic magnetometric detection device "Gorgon" can be considered a real breakthrough in this area. At the moment, the international market has a minimum number of systems of this class, due to which the development of NPK "Daedalus" can rightfully be considered one of the leaders. Thus, the newest Russian coastal protection system should have great commercial prospects both in the domestic and international markets.
